Waterfiend {Ancient Cavern} - Access and Combat Recommendations

Access Directions

The best way to get to the waterfiends in the Ancient Cavern is to use the new fairy ring. To unlock this ring, enter the cavern the traditional way, bringing with a spade and 5 (bittercap) mushrooms. You'll find a section of "enchanted land" in the far southwest corner of the cave, which you can click on to convert to a fairy ring. Thereafter, access it like any other, using code "B J Q". By using a lunar or dramen staff you can quickly get between the larger (preferable) waterfiend combat area and the bank in Zanaris. The other waterfiend area is near the main entrance, and is not recommended.

The waterfiends area in the Chaos Tunnels requires you to traverse several other rooms to access. Bank in Edgeville, then run northwest to the crack in the ground that marks the entrance to the tunnels. You land in the circular gargoyles room. Run west and take the northwest portal, go through the mummies (watch out!) and take the portal to the monks of Zamorak. Take the next portal in the northeast corner, to the dust devils, and then the portal just north of that one. Run west past the black demons to another portal, then run north and take the northeast portal to the turoths. The final portal, to the east, goes to the waterfiends.

Equipment

You must use a crushing weapon on waterfiends; slashing and piercing attacks have little effect. The best choice is the Saradomin sword, followed closely by the Zamorakian spear; alternatives include godswords, the Barrelchest anchor, Verac's flail and other strong crush weapons.

Waterfiends use a magic attack and a ranged attack that appears to be magic-based; this means high mage defence is essential. You cannot use armor with high ranged defence but poor magic defence and just protect against magic -- you'll get hit hard. So use Karil's armor and other items that boost magic defence. Items that boost prayer are also useful, if you either need prayer for protection or want to use it to enhance combat.

For headgear, good options to consider are the helm of Neitiznot, or the dwarven helmet (from Grim Tales), because of its +6 crush attack bonus. If you are lucky enough to get these as a Slayer assignment, wear a Slayer helmet for its +15% combat bonus.

For fighting in the Chaos Tunnels, you should use a charged helm of Neitiznot.

Supplies

For single combat fighting in the Ancient Cavern, you need combat boosting potions and food. Add prayer potions if you are lower level and need to fight with protection prayer on, or if you want to use prayer to speed up your kill rate. Players unaccustomed to fighting waterfiends should also bring a one-click teleport in case they get into trouble. The amount and type of food you bring with is a function of your level and the kind of Summoning familiar you are using. Very high level players can do fine with a beast of burden full of mid-grade food. Always use extreme or super sets to speed combat, and bring with alching runes for the armor and weapons these drop.

If you are doing multicombat waterfiends in the Chaos Tunnels, you need Saradomin brews, super restores and lots of prayer potions, along with extreme or super sets. You should also bring an extra Summoning pouch and scrolls. See my full Waterfiend Guide for details on the multicombat method.

Familiar

Many players like to use a bunyip on waterfiends, since it heals continuously and also lets you make use of their frequent raw fish drops via Swallow Whole scrolls. However, the introduction of the fairy ring to the Ancient Cavern makes using a beast of burden a viable alternative, and possibly a superior option if you want to try to keep more of the fiends' unnoted drops. Using a beast of burden also lets you make use of less expensive food.

For fighting in the Chaos Tunnels, use the best combat familiar you can summon -- the iron titan is a good choice if you have the level.

Combat Notes

I have written an extensive, dedicated Waterfiend Guide that tells you everything you need to know in order to combat them effectively; what follows is just a summary.

First, single combat. When you arrive at the fairy ring, stay put while you pot up and put on your main weapon. Make sure it is on one of its crush settings, and take your first super set dose. Then start fighting the waterfiends, being sure to stay well away from the brutal green dragons. If you are using enhancement prayers like Piety or Turmoil, put them on.

As you fight, use your food as needed to heal damage. Lower level players should turn on Protection from Ranged or Deflect Ranged as needed; higher level players can use Soul Split periodically if they need more healing. The waterfiends also drop unnoted cooked sharks that you can eat on the fly. Pick up drops and store them in your beast of burden, alching items like battlestaves and mithril warhammers. Use more extreme/super potion doses as they wear off.

For multicombat fighting, you will generally want to use both Soul Split and Turmoil while the waterfiends are aggressive, watching your health and prayer carefully. At first your inventory will mostly be full, so you'll have to leave a lot of drops behind. Be sure to keep your familiar busy attacking targets, and use special attack scrolls as frequently as you can. Use your Saradomin brews, super restores and extreme/super attack/strength as needed if your health starts to lag behind. Once the monsters' aggressiveness wears off, combat is much easier, but you have to spend more time keeping your familiar engaged in combat.

Drop Notes

Waterfiends are best known for their charm drops: they give a charm on about 95% of kills. Even better, about 80-85% of those charms are crimson, one of the most desirable kinds. This alone has made waterfiends very sought out monsters by those looking to train the Summoning skill. But waterfiends also have good "regular" drops as well: noted water orbs, snape grass, seaweed and uncut sapphires; herbs; herb seeds; armor and weapons; unnoted raw fish and much more! The challenge is often finding space for all of it, which is why a beast of burden is a good idea.